After Walking Daughter Down the Aisle, She Walks Him to the Mound at Wrigley Field

Earlier this year, Carl Michels experienced a moment he once feared he'd never see: walking his youngest daughter down the aisle.

Over the weekend, their roles were beautifully reversed.

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Through a special partnership between Advocate Health Care and the Chicago Cubs, Michels was invited to throw out the ceremonial first pitch before the Cubs' victory over the Pittsburgh Pirates. Months earlier, he had proudly walked his youngest daughter down the aisle.

With daughters Melissa and Rebecca by his side, Michels made his way to the pitcher's mound at Wrigley Field. As family members cheered from the stands, the two women who had once leaned on their father for support now escorted him for a once-in-a-lifetime experience.

For Michels, the opportunity to stand on the mound at Wrigley Field, and to recently walk his daughter down the aisle, felt unimaginable just months ago.

After being diagnosed with severe aortic valve calcification at Advocate Good Shepherd Hospital, Michels faced an uncertain future. His condition had dramatically limited his quality of life, leaving him breathless from simple activities like climbing stairs. Without treatment, his life expectancy would have been significantly shortened.

Cardiologist Dr. Douglas Tomasian performed a transcatheter aortic valve replacement (TAVR), a 45-minute, minimally invasive procedure that replaces a disease valve without the need for open heart surgery, Michels headed home the next day with a new lease on life, and the confidence he would be able to make his daughter's special day.

"I couldn't have lived another year. I'm so glad I got to be there for her, and I'm grateful to live in a time with medical advancements like this," he says. "I feel younger again, and I never take it for granted."

Michels' recovery continues in cardiac rehabilitation, where he steadily rebuilds his strength. Treadmills and stationary bikes, what once felt like obstacles, are now milestones of progress as he looks forward to many more milestones with the people he loves.